Nematic liquid crystals are aggregates of calamitic molecules and most related experimentalphenomena are described well by their mean molecular orientation, i.e. by the director,and by the scalar order parameter, considering a perfect uniaxial symmetry. However,when the nematic distortion is very strong and it occurs over a length scale comparablewith the nematic coherence length, the molecular order may be significantly altered, as inthe case of the core of a defect or in the case of highly frustrated nematic systems. Suchsystems, where spatial and/or temporal changes of the nematic order are relevant, requirea full Landau-de Gennes Q-tensor description.In this work, we will present the implementation of a Q-tensor numerical model, basedon a one-dimensional finite element method with a r-type moving mesh technique capableof describing the nematic order dynamics inside a π-cell submitted to a strong electricpulse. The use of the moving grid technique ensures no waste of computational effort inthe area of low spatial order variability: in fact, the technique concentrates the grid pointsin regions of large ∇Q, maintaining constant the total number of nodes in the domain.
Titolo: | Moving mesh partial differential equations to describe nematic order dynamics |
Autori: | |
Data di pubblicazione: | 2010 |
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Handle: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12318/6839 |
Appare nelle tipologie: | 1.1 Articolo in rivista |